Support Between a Positive Test and Your First OB Visit
A positive pregnancy test brings a lot of questions, and the first OB appointment is often weeks away, usually around 8 to 10 weeks. Brooke, who spent 11 years as a registered nurse in labor and delivery, postpartum and the well-baby nursery, can help you through those early weeks by telehealth, for patients located in Utah.
Become a Patient
Help in the Early Weeks of Pregnancy
Many OB offices schedule the first prenatal appointment around 8 to 10 weeks of pregnancy. The weeks before that can feel long, especially if you have questions about medications, symptoms, nausea, spotting, or what is safe to eat and do. Early pregnancy care at Sagebrooke is meant to help in that gap.
Brooke Tuttle, FNP-C, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner who has practiced family medicine since 2017. Before that, she spent 11 years as a registered nurse in labor and delivery, postpartum and the well-baby nursery, caring for mothers and babies during and after birth. She is also a mom of two boys.
Sagebrooke does not provide prenatal care or deliveries, and we do not replace your OB. We can answer questions, review your medications, talk through common early symptoms, order labs or an ultrasound at local facilities when it is appropriate, and help you connect with prenatal care. Your OB will guide your pregnancy from the first prenatal visit on.
Questions we can help with
- Whether your current medications and supplements are safe to keep taking
- Starting a prenatal vitamin with folic acid
- Nausea, vomiting, tiredness and other common early symptoms
- Light spotting, cramping, or worries about miscarriage
- What to eat, what to avoid, and whether exercise, travel or work changes are needed
- Questions related to a previous pregnancy, loss or delivery
- Finding and preparing for your first OB appointment
- Feeling anxious, low or overwhelmed about the pregnancy
What to Expect
- A telehealth visit for patients located in Utah, while you wait for your first OB appointment
- A review of your medications, supplements and health conditions
- Practical guidance on nausea, nutrition and common early symptoms
- Labs at a local lab or an ultrasound at a local imaging center when appropriate
- Help connecting with an OB for prenatal care
How We Help in Early Pregnancy
Listen and Answer
We talk through how you are feeling, your health history, past pregnancies and your questions. Nothing is too small to ask.
Make Things Safer
We review your medications and supplements, talk about a prenatal vitamin with folic acid, and go over what is safe and what to avoid in early pregnancy.
A Bridge to Your OB
We help you connect with prenatal care and make sure anything important, such as your medication list or lab results, is ready for your first OB appointment.
Benefits
Labor and Delivery Experience
Brooke spent 11 years as a registered nurse in labor and delivery, postpartum and the well-baby nursery before becoming a nurse practitioner.
Answers Sooner
You do not have to sit with your questions until your first OB appointment.
Care From Home
Early pregnancy questions can usually be talked through by video, without a trip to an office.
Honest About Limits
We tell you plainly when a symptom needs urgent care, and we leave prenatal care to your OB.
How the Early Weeks Usually Unfold
A Positive Test
Start a prenatal vitamin with folic acid if you are not already taking one, and reach out with questions about medications or symptoms.
The Weeks Before Your OB Visit
A telehealth visit to review your health, medications and symptoms. If you have bleeding or pain, or a history that calls for it, we may order labs or an ultrasound and review the results with you.
Around 8 to 10 Weeks
Your first OB appointment, where prenatal care begins. We help make sure your records and questions are ready.
After Your OB Takes Over
Your OB guides the pregnancy. We remain your family medicine provider for health concerns outside of your pregnancy care, and after your baby arrives, we can care for the whole family, newborn included.
When to call 911 or go to the emergency room
Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you have heavy bleeding or pass large clots, severe or one-sided pain in your belly or pelvis, shoulder pain along with belly pain, fainting or feeling like you might faint, or a fever. These can be signs of a miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy or an infection, and they need to be seen right away.
Vomiting so often that you cannot keep fluids down, or signs of dehydration such as very little urine, also need prompt care. If you are thinking about harming yourself, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911.
Medications in early pregnancy
Many people are taking a medication when they find out they are pregnant. Some are safe to continue. Others, such as certain acne, blood pressure and weight loss medications, need to be stopped or changed, while stopping some medications suddenly can cause harm. Reach out promptly so we can review your medications with you, and talk with us, your OB or the prescribing clinician before making a change.
What we do and do not provide
Sagebrooke does not provide prenatal care or deliveries, and early pregnancy visits do not replace your OB. Prenatal exams, prenatal screening tests and delivery planning happen with your OB.
What we can do is help in the gap: answer questions, review medications, help with nausea and common symptoms, order labs or an ultrasound when appropriate, and help you connect with prenatal care. Sagebrooke starts as a telehealth practice, and an in-person clinic is planned in Cache County, Utah.
Common Questions About Early Pregnancy Questions
Do you provide prenatal care?
No. Sagebrooke does not provide prenatal care or deliveries, and we do not replace your OB. We help with questions in the early weeks and help you connect with prenatal care. The first OB appointment is often around 8 to 10 weeks.
Can you confirm my pregnancy?
A home pregnancy test is usually accurate when taken after a missed period. If the result is unclear, or if you have bleeding or pain, we can order a blood pregnancy test at a local lab, and an ultrasound at a local imaging center when it is appropriate.
Is spotting in early pregnancy normal?
Light spotting can happen in a healthy early pregnancy, but it should always be mentioned. Reach out so we can talk it through. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room for heavy bleeding, severe or one-sided pain, fainting or a fever.
What can I do about morning sickness?
Small, frequent meals, staying hydrated and avoiding triggers can help. Some medications are considered safe for nausea in pregnancy, and we can talk through the options. If you cannot keep fluids down, seek care promptly.
I had a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy before. Should I reach out sooner?
Yes. Tell us early. A previous ectopic pregnancy in particular can mean you need an early ultrasound, and we can help arrange it and help you connect with your OB sooner.
Should I keep taking my medications?
Reach out as soon as you know you are pregnant so we can review them. Some medications need to be stopped or changed, while stopping others suddenly can cause harm, so talk with us, your OB or the prescribing clinician before making a change.
Does insurance cover early pregnancy visits?
Sagebrooke Family Medicine is an insurance-based practice, and we are in the process of joining insurance plans. What you pay depends on your plan, including any copay, deductible or coinsurance. Contact the practice to check whether your plan is accepted, and check with your insurer about coverage for medications, labs and imaging.
Related Services
Service
Women's Health
Care for every stage of a woman's life, including postpartum follow-up.
Condition
Pelvic Pain
Possible causes, the tests that help, and when to seek care right away.
Service
Care Coordination
Help connecting with prenatal care, specialists, labs and imaging.
Service
Pediatric and Adolescent Care
Care for your newborn, kids and teens once the baby arrives.
Our Team
Meet Brooke
Family nurse practitioner and former labor and delivery nurse.
Telehealth
How Telehealth Visits Work
What to expect from a video visit and what needs an in-person visit.
Have Questions About Your Early Pregnancy?
Reach out through our contact page to ask a question, check whether your insurance plan is accepted, or request a telehealth appointment. For heavy bleeding, severe pain, fainting or fever, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Become a Patient